Today in New West news: Montana State University receives $8 million pledge from Greg and Susan Gianforte, Pleasant Revolution bike/music tour planned for Pacific Northwest/California, and Denver-area housing development sells final unit after 58 years.

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January 31, 2008Comments Off on Intermountain Opera Association: Sharing the Joy of Opera

For 30 years, the Intermountain Opera Association has provided two or three performances of at least one fully-staged opera classic each year starring singers well-known in the opera world, backed by an orchestra and chorus made up of the best musicians from our region. With 15 people serving on the board, two year-round part-time staffers and hundreds of volunteers, the organization is currently expanding their outreach activities to develop new audiences and ensure the survival of live opera in Montana. President Janet Young expands on the organization and their efforts.

January 24, 2008Comments Off on Friends of the Bozeman Public Library: A Community Resource

With around 1,000 visits every day and more than 25,000 people who have been issued library cards, the Bozeman Public Library is a major community center. Operating from its newly completed state-of-the-art building since 2006, the library is a multimedia resource center and community meeting place that offers residents culturally and scientifically enriching programs and materials.
Founded in 1974, the Friends of the Bozeman Public Library (FBPL), with 40 volunteers and 9 directors, is dedicated to providing financial support and meeting the needs of the Bozeman Library and the community.
The organization supports the Bozeman Public Library in providing the community with free, open and equal access to general information on a broad array of topics; resources to promote personal growth and lifelong learning; popular materials to meet cultural and recreational needs; and the training to find, evaluate and use information effectively. Amy McNamara, Vice President, expands on FBPL and its efforts.

January 17, 2008Comments Off on The Cody Dieruf Benefit Foundation: Breathing is Believing

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic disease affecting more than 30,000 children and young adults in the U.S. It is a debilitating disease that over time, weakens a patient’s lungs and heart resulting in consistent and life-threatening lung infections and severe digestive problems, prolonged hospital stays and often necessitating life-saving organ transplants. Currently, there is no cure.
The Cody Dieruf Benefit Foundation was created in 2006 as a living tribute to Cody Dieruf, a young woman and accomplished ballet dancer from Bozeman who died from the disease when she was 23-years-old, just days before her college graduation.
Described as a passionate and fun-loving woman with a tremendous zeal for life, Cody was deeply committed to living her life to the fullest, as she realized that each day was a gift. Even as the disease began to take its toll on her young body, she found triumph in the smallest of accomplishments, her signature smile never fading away.
The organization is committed to raising awareness of CF and offering the necessary financial and emotional support to local kids and young adults with CF and their families. Anne Dieruf, President, expands on the CDMF and its efforts.

January 11, 2008Comments Off on The Sonoran Institute: Conserving and Enhancing the Western Landscape

With unprecedented population growth throughout the West, both its demographic and economic landscape have witnessed major changes. Committed to promoting community decisions that respect the environment and the people who live here, The Sonoran Institute strives to create a collaborative approach to protecting both the culture and the land of the West.
The Sonoran Institute, Northern Rockies Office, founded in 1990, has a staff of 11 people, including land use planners, community organizers, rural development specialists, a landscape ecologist, conservationists, a communications expert and a GIS specialist, all committed to the organization’s mission of inspiring and enabling community decisions and public policies that respect the land and the people of the West. Dennis Glick, director of the Sonoran Institute’s Northern Rockies office, expands on the organization and its efforts.

January 3, 2008Comments Off on Montana Center for International Visitors: Connecting Montana to the World

With a mission to connect Montana to the world through global education and exchanges with international visitors, the Montana Center for International Visitors (MCIV) is part of a network of individuals and community organizations throughout the U.S. that helps to bridge cultures and build positive relationships by bringing together people from all over the world.
An affiliate of the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV), based in Washington, D.C., MCIV is one of 95 community based non-profit centers throughout the country. The organization brings emerging leaders from over 120 countries to the U.S. to obtain knowledge about its people, government and culture, resulting in lasting relationships with prominent professionals and leaders from various overseas locals.
Founded in 1987, the MCIV has one full-time staff member and one part-time staff member and eight board members that work to bring an average of 100 leaders to experience Montana every year. Executive Director, Doris Armstrong, expands upon MCIV and their efforts.

December 27, 2007Comments Off on TechRanch: Fostering Strong Economies in Rural Communities

Successfully breaking into the high-tech market as a start-up company is a difficult endeavor, especially in a rural state like Montana. TechRanch, founded in 2007, is non-profit organization with a primary mission to foster the development of an innovative economy in the low-income, rural state of Montana through business educational programming and support.
As one of our state’s leading business development assistance organizations, TechRanch helps entrepreneurs, through education, resources and ideas, pursue ventures in high technology markets. Their goal is to help new businesses succeed more quickly and with less investment capital than they otherwise would have had, giving them a better shot at success.
The success of these companies can translate to increases in employment in rural areas, new sales revenue to the state and giving Montana companies a more competitive edge. Cindy Taylor, chairwoman, expands on TechRanch and their efforts.